Juncker Commission adopts second annual Work Programme

On 27 October, the European Commission adopted its 2016 Work Programme, the second of the Juncker Commission, reaffirming the commitment to the ten priorities of its Political Guidelines. The preparation for this Work Programme was launched with the State of the Union address of President Juncker in front of the European Parliament on 9 September and the Letter of Intent sent by him and First Vice-President Timmermans to the Presidents of the European Parliament and the Council on the same day. In “No time for business as usual“, priority is given to improving the management of the refugee crisis, tackling the climate change that will be discussed during the COP21, or even working together towards finding solutions to the growing intolerance in some EU countries. We regret however, that education is only considered in the Growth and Employment objectives (page 5), and remind institutions it has a full role to play in the above-mentioned challenges.